Stats of the Day: Bryant comes through
Rookie's walk-off shot puts him in tie for most HRs by 1st-year Cubs player
Here are five interesting items from around the big leagues Monday …
With the Cubs down a run and down to their final out in the ninth, Kris Bryant jacked a two-run homer to give Chicago a rousing 9-8 victory over Colorado. Bryant has 14 homers, 59 RBIs and a 125 OPS+ in his debut season. For all first-year Cubs players, Bryant is tied with Mandy Brooks (1925) for the most home runs; has the eighth-most RBIs, 29 behind co-leaders Bill Lange (1893) and Bill Everitt (1895); and currently has the third-highest OPS+ among those who qualified for the batting title. In 1880, Tom Burns posted a 135, and in 1918, Charlie Hollocher put up a 134.
• In the Rockies' loss, Carlos Gonzalez homered twice for his third multihomer game in his last four contests (the second homer gave Colorado an 8-7 lead in the top of the ninth). Gonzalez has an .892 slugging percentage in 78 plate appearances this month. Dating back to 1914, the highest slugging percentage for any player with at least 75 plate appearances in a July belongs to Barry Bonds, who posted a 1.000 in 2003. There are 10 others who had an .890 or better.
Video: Must C Crushed: CarGo launches two homers for Rox
• The White Sox defeated the Red Sox, 10-8, getting a pair of doubles and an RBI from Melky Cabrera. Cabrera has produced at least two hits and an RBI in five straight games; he is the second White Sox switch-hitter since 1914 to be able to claim such a streak, following Buck Weaver in 1920.
• In Boston's loss to Chicago, David Ortiz went yard to notch his 14th career 20-homer campaign (the last 13 with the Red Sox). The 14 tie Ortiz for the 16th most all time (Hank Aaron leads with 20) and the 13 move him one closer to Ted Williams' franchise record of 16. Williams' 16 tie for the fifth most all time.
• On his 40th birthday, Alex Rodriguez hit his 678th career home run. The blast helped the Yankees to a 6-2 victory over the Rangers. Rodriguez has six birthday home runs, the most for any player. Four others -- Al Simmons, Chipper Jones, Derrek Lee and Todd Helton -- have five. Rodriguez became the sixth player to homer on his 40th birthday. The previous five: Cincinnati's Bob Thurman in 1957, Philadelphia's Joe Morgan in '83, Tampa Bay's Wade Boggs in '98, Oakland's Tony Phillips in '99 and Atlanta's Jones in 2012.
Video: NYY@TEX: A-Rod blasts solo homer on 40th birthday
Milestone watch for Tuesday
Padres closer Craig Kimbrel needs one save to reach 30 for the fifth straight year. He will be the second pitcher -- after Jonathan Papelbon -- to have at least 30 in five of his first six years.